Hurt

"Come on not far now" Rachel encouraged her arm wrapped around Puck's waist his around her shoulders as he limped towards her couch.

"It's only a bad sprain, I'm fine" he muttered through gritted teeth trying not to put too much weight on his ankle or the petite girl supporting him.

"Hush" Rachel said absently as they finally made it to the couch and she eased him down "the doctors said you have to keep your weight off it for at least three or four days and your mom isn't home to look after you and make sure that you abide by the doctor's orders."

Rachel fussed with the cushions behind him making sure that they fit against his back comfortably and he wasn't being forced to sit up before gently lifting his leg up onto the coffee table supported by another cushion.

Sitting back and trying not to cry out in pain Puck nodded in agreement rather than argue again "ok" he muttered again.

"Right painkiller time" Rachel said looking at him intently and then hurrying off to the kitchen to get a glass of water and hurrying back just as quickly.

"Thanks B" he rasped out as he swallowed the painkillers and reached forward to put the glass down only for Rachel to sweep it out of his hands quickly and put it down for him.

"Not a problem" Rachel smiled picking up a blanket from the other sofa and putting it down next to him "they might make you drowsy so this is just in case you need to sleep" she then reached for the remotes and put them down next to him "and this is for the television obviously, we have over 1000 satellite channels, with the complete sports package so I'm sure you will find something to watch, if not tell me and I will show you the DVD's"

"Thanks again B" Puck smiled up at his friend, which he had more than friendly feelings for but was too scared to say anything.

"Always happy to help" Rachel said again "I'll be in the kitchen if you want me"

"Ok" he said smiling up at her as she took the long way around the back of the couch so not to disturb his leg, hearing her vaguely moving around in the kitchen he slouched a little further down and pulled the blanket over his body, his eyes heavy as his painkillers soothed his aching ankle. The TV on in the background tuned to ESPN he fell asleep to the soothing sound of Rachel in the background and one of the commenter's.

Rachel tiptoed out a few hours later with a tray of food for him and smiled broadly as he snored on the sofa, putting it down as gently as she could she moved over to him and tugged the blanket a little further up his body, wincing as his eyes fluttered open.

"I'm sorry" she whispered "go back to sleep"

"Food" he grunted pointing at the tray

"It will keep" Rachel smiled "sleep"

"Nope hungry now" Puck grinned cheekily pulling himself up, trying not to wince. Rachel smiled and rolled her eyes good naturedly as she leaned over and picked up the tray placing it on his lap.

"I didn't know what you wanted to drink" Rachel fussed as she shifted his pillows for him again.

"Water is fine" Puck insisted, slightly guilty of Rachel fussing around him

"So coke?" Rachel asked knowingly already walking out to the kitchen to get him a can from the fridge, hurrying back as he was taking his first bite of the lasagne she had made for him, with real meat, just for him.

After taking his tray out for him they both settled down to watch a film before Puck's next dose of painkillers kicked in and he fell asleep again to the sound of Remember the Titans and Rachel in the arm chair.

"Morning" Rachel said the next day as she came down to the living room and found Puck now sitting up and watching the morning sports report.

"Hey, I fell asleep on you" Puck smiled up at her

"Yes, half way through Remember the Titans I think that should be a crime" Rachel laughed "breakfast?"

"Yes please" Puck smiled cheekily as his phone chimed on the table and Rachel walked into the kitchen.

Dude Berry drivin u crzy yet? Sent Finn

Nah, she's bein awesome relly Puck replied sharply to his friend pissed that Finn had sent such an impersonal message about his ex when he knew that she was actually a nice person.

Cn always stay at mine if it gts 2 bad Finn replied, basically ignoring Puck's text, scoffing in annoyance Puck tossed his phone onto the sofa next to him and sat back as Rachel came back with a tray for him, with a pancake stack and bacon.

"Damn you look after me" Puck grinned as a coffee cup appeared next to his elbow on the side table.

"I try" Rachel smiled again sitting down to her own breakfast of soy yogurt and honey cross legged on the floor.

"What you doing today?" Puck asked idly as the news repeated

"I was planning on completing some of our summer homework but of course that would be unfair to you, we could find something to do if you want"

"Nah, I mean if you want to work you can, I'll just watch TV"

"Well it will not take me long, but I will do it here at the living room table so you have some company"

"Rach I'm ok" Puck protested lamely

"Noah you are a guest in my home, I cannot in good conscience just leave you alone especially when you do not have full motor functions at the moment!"

"Ooookkkaayyyy?" Puck drawled trying to make sense of the long winded speech as Rachel hopped up and took his tray for him, coming back five minutes later with a book and a pad of paper, elegantly folding herself into a crossed legged seat again, Puck eyes travelling to her legs and thighs as her skirt bunched up and travelled up her legs baring more skin to his gaze.

Puck turned the TV to some movie as Rachel bit her pen and concentrated on her book in front of her, her back to Puck not seeing him watch her rather than the film that was on the TV, her hair was brushed over one shoulder as she leaned forward and all he wished he could do was lean forward and run his lips along the soft skin of her neck.

Shifting a little he winced as pain shot through his ankle, biting back a gasp effectively he pulled himself up and tried to make himself comfortable only to be startled with the bottle of water and bottle of painkillers appearing in front of him.

"Nice try" Rachel smirked "can't hide anything from me"

Puck rolled his eyes and took the offered painkillers before falling into a doze again as he watched Rachel steadily work through the biology homework they had been assigned his hiding somewhere under a pile of clothes in his own room.

Puck spent the day dozing on the couch and watching Rachel as she first completed some homework and then moved the armchair to practise some dancing, Puck perking up considerably as Rachel came down in tights and leotard and a see through skirt and proceeded to show Puck just how flexible she really was.

The next day passed much like that, Puck dozing through his painkillers while Rachel did homework, read on the couch or practised her dancing, but dropping everything if Puck so much as winced, cooked hot food for him at every meal time and made sure he had something to do.

It was the beginning of day three that Puck's ankle finally stopped hurting every time he moved and could move around a little more, taking to limping around the house whenever Rachel was out of the room or running to the store he would hop to the couch as fast as he could whenever he heard her coming, not ready to leave yet, using the opportunity to spend time with Rachel for another few days.

"Want to play a board game?" Rachel offered as she noticed his restlessness two days later "you could sit on the floor with your ankle propped up for a while, seeing as it is still hurting you"

"Yeah ok" Puck shrugged "just us two?"

"Invite some people over if you want" Rachel offered absently as she studied her phone, blushing lightly at Santana's text which was insinuating that she had to be sexing Puck as she hadn't heard from Rachel in a few days.

"Sure? Matt and Mike?"

"Of course" Rachel promised looking up and smiling at him, her smile draining him on any thought process momentarily, shaking his head he texted the boys to come over and play monopoly with him and Rachel as Rachel set up the game on the coffee table.

"Cheater!" Rachel cried at Puck as he tried to slip more hundreds from the bank a few hours later, Puck growled in frustration and put the spare hundreds back as Mike and Matt laughed at him.

"But I'm losing" he moaned "I got like 400 bucks left and you have hotels everywhere!"

"Not our fault you aren't particularly good at the game" Rachel said smugly

"Dude you really do suck" Mike laughed "and its monopoly!"

Puck growled annoyingly and shifted his leg which was stretched out at his side, Rachel immediately reached for his hand and grasped it tightly "you ok? Your ankle?"

"Just a twinge" Puck lied, Rachel jumping to her feet and rushing to get him a glass of water and some weaker painkillers.

Mike and Matt looked at each other in amusement as Rachel returned to give Puck the water and aspirin, before fussing over his pillows and making sure his leg was elevated properly. Concentrating more on the soft touch of Rachel's smooth skin on his own Puck completely missed their looks as Rachel touched his cheek softly and brought his gaze up to hers "better?"

"Yeah" he said as his stomach rumbled loudly

"Liar" Rachel laughed "I'll get you a snack, pizza for dinner though"

Getting to her feet again she rushed out to the kitchen "dude that's what she has been doing for you for like the last five days?" Matt asked

"Yeah she looks after me" Puck smiled towards the kitchen, not seeing Mike reach over and grab his 'bad' ankle tightly and give it a squeeze "dude!" he cried out late.

"You are completely faking!" Matt whisper shouted at Puck who had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

"I'm not really, it is hurting just well not a lot" Puck mumbled

"It's because of Rach aint it?" Mike whispered

"Because of me what?" Rachel asked brightly coming in with a tray and placing it down on the corner of the table and handing out the drink she had got the Mike and Matt before walking around to give Puck's to him so he wouldn't have to stretch.

"Oh um...that he didn't invite Finn" Matt invented quickly

"You could have if you wanted" Rachel said worriedly

"Na B, I'm happy like this" Puck assured as she placed a small hand on one of his 'guns', reaching up he tugged her down next to him with her back against the sofa "let's finish the game, got to give you time to beat me"

Rachel laughed and nodded as she reached for the dice taking her turn and then leaning back where his arm was suddenly resting and jumping a little but settling back against him with a small smile as they continued their game, Puck valiantly hanging in their somehow.

"I'm going to go get dinner" Rachel said finally getting to her feet "I donate my estate to Noah" she added with a smirk making Mike and Matt moan in disappointment "I'll be back soon, Noah do you want anything before I leave?"

"Just a hug" he looked up at her with a grin as she kneeled next to him and lent over to gave him one quickly before getting to her feet and grabbing her keys and purse off the side and leaving.

"Dude spill" Matt and Mike ordered as Rachel closed the door behind her

"I was in pain, really I was but the last few days she looked after me and cooked for me and made sure I was comfortable and I've liked her for ages and this is an excuse to just be us two for a while. I know it's like bullshit but I didn't want it to end because I healed early"

"What aren't you just telling her your feelings?" Matt demanded

"I will, eventually" he added "just don't tell Rach ok?"

"Won't for now, but you keep using her like a slave and I will" Mike promised

"I don't deliberately use her as a slave!" Puck protested "she sort of does stuff before I say anything"

"That's the only reason we aren't saying anything" Matt drawled picking up the dice, the three boys continuing their game until Rachel returned with two large pepperoni pizzas for the three of them and a vegan for her.

"I'm stuffed" Rachel moaned throwing down her pizza crust hours later after the four of them had watched the Blind Side and Matt and Mike had left.

"Ditto" Puck groaned shifting about awkwardly on the couch he was lying on, trying to get comfortable, Rachel on the other couch her head hanging off the side making a curtain of hair fall down that he just wanted to run his fingers through.

"You ok?" she asked lazily, stifling a yawn

"Just tired of the couch" Puck shrugged yawning himself

"Oh" Rachel said biting her lip "well the guest rooms are being remodelled at the moment, and I'm sure you do not want to sleep in my parents' bedroom, but I suppose you can share with me"

"Really?" Puck asked sitting up in shock "I mean...only if it is cool with you...and like I..."

"No it's fine" Rachel shrugged getting to her feet "are you ok with the stairs though?"

"Yeah, I'll just meet you up there" Puck smiled up at Rachel, knowing she had a shower every night while he had been having his in the morning.

Rachel nodded and headed upstairs swiftly, Puck waiting for the shower to turn on before getting to his feet naturally and walked upstairs with only a slight limp and stripping down to his boxers to slide into Rachel's bed, ready for when she got out of her bathroom.

Dressed in shorts and a baggy t-shirt Rachel got into her side of the bed and rolled over to turn off the light as she backed up beside Puck who without any thought wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer as their legs tangled together.

"So when exactly were you going to tell me that your ankle was fine?" Rachel drawled her voice masking her laughter badly.

"Wait you knew?" Puck asked worriedly

"Hopping makes a lot of noise" Rachel said turning around in his arms, her mirth apparent in the glint of her eyes even in the pale light.

"But why did you keep looking after me?" Puck asked guiltily holding her tight

"Well I like looking after you" she shrugged "plus if you had started walking to early you would have caused more damage and you wouldn't have been able to dance in glee, and that would have been awful!" she added dramatically.

Puck laughed before nodding as solemnly as he could then leaning down to kiss her finally, his lips pressed against hers firmly as they finally moved together, Puck grabbing her hips under the duvet and rolling them both over.

"You know it's strange" Rachel mentioned as Puck concentrated on kissing her neck

"What's that?" he mumbled busy

"Never thought you would be too scared to admit your feelings" she added laughing as he sat back with indignation "well it took a sprained ankle!" she defended.

"Are you questioning my badassness?" he asked arching his eyebrow "have you seen my guns?"

"Doesn't change the fact that a sprained ankle was the push for you, despite your lovely arms" she added caressing them lovingly "just saying it took you getting hurt, but at least after looking after you like this I can expect payment in return in the unlikely event that I am sick or hurt"

"Course baby I do kind of owe you" Puck shrugged "can we get back to the making out now?"

"Sure" she shrugged pulling his head down to hers.